This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSISDefense to Avoid: Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Bulls are this season's Jekyll and Hyde, so it's risky to trust them to play defense, But against the Hornets at home, they could come out strong after losing two straight. Chicago has held opponents to under 100 points in six of its past nine home games, and they limited the Hornets to 44.0 percent shooting from the field and 27.8 from distance in a 103-91 road loss on Dec. 24. In the past two home games following a three-game losing streak, the Bulls have allowed 82 and 85 points, respectively. Also try to avoid the Jazz on the road against the Nets and the monitor injuries in the Magic-Knicks game.
Offense to Use: Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards
The Clippers at home against the Suns is appealing if Chris Paul plays, but this one should be a barn-burner. The Rockets' offense has been historically good the past four games, averaging 130.7 points per contest during that stretch. James Harden's game has been at another level this season, so he leads the way as the highest-priced player, but Houston gets plenty of contributions from his surrounding cast: ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza are all under $6,000 and have provided nice DFS value.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Jazz, Wizards, Nuggets, Suns
Second game: Magic
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Stephen Curry, GS vs. DEN ($8,600): Normally among the elite options, Curry has fallen from grace since Kevin Durant joined the Warriors. He's not going to consistently put up gigantic fantasy numbers, but because of that his salary is much more affordable. Curry could return to 50-plus fantasy range against the Nuggets, who are allowing the third-most fantasy points (50.69) per game to point guards this season. He shot the lights out against Denver earlier in the season, scoring 33 points while shooting higher than 50 percent from the field and from range.
Derrick Rose, NYK vs. ORL ($6,500): Who would have thought D-Rose would find his legs again and look like the player who won an MVP? Rose has gone four straight games with at least 20 points, and he has at least 40 fantasy points in three of six. The Knicks are banged up and there's a chance both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis don't play. This will mean old school D-Rose will show up and be forced to carry the offense by taking more than 20 shots. He has at least 21 in his past three games and expect that trend to continue.
Eric Gordon, HOU vs. WAS ($5,700): As mentioned above, Gordon is a nice stack option with Harden and some of the Rockets' other inexpensive players. This game should have one of the higher over/under's on the eight-game slate, which is always good to keep tabs on. He's scored over 30 fantasy points in five of 10 and averaged 29.6 fantasy points per game over his last six. Gordon is a solid option for cash games with his low salary and the Rockets expected to score a ton of points against the Wizards.
Gordon Hayward, UTA at BKN ($8,100): The Jazz offense normally doesn't go off, but the Nets' defense normally doesn't allow fewer than 100 points. Hayward is Utah's top scorer, averaging 22.1 points per game, and he has been slightly better on the road this season (38.5 fantasy points per game in 12 appearances). Brooklyn has allowed the most fantasy points to small forwards this season (44.81 per game), and the Jazz are an appealing team to stack given most of their players will have lower ownership in tournaments and won't cost a fortune.
Otto Porter, WAS at HOU ($6,100): Porter's inconsistencies are concerning, but if you're thinking of playing John Wall ($10,100), then stacking the two might make sense. You know the game script is in the Wizards' favor: an underdog on the road, in a game expected to be up and down. Washington will need to keep pace with Houston and the only way to do that without Bradley Beal is to let Porter see if he can find something on offense. He has tremendous upside for use in tournaments considering his price, having scored 32 points en route to 54.75 fantasy points three games ago against the Bucks.
Doug McDermott, CHI vs. CHA ($3,300): If you're looking for a punt play, McDermott is starting to find his shot for the Bulls, who normally bounce back at home after losing a few games in a row. He has 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three in his past two games and he's pretty much solidified his role in Chicago's rotation. If McDermott gets on a roll and needs a heat check, he could turn out to be a great tournament play.
Rudy Gobert, UTA at BKN ($7,400): The proverbial cash-game center, Gobert has been as reliable as any at his position, as he has reached double-digit rebounds in 19 straight games. Not only are the Nets getting torched by small forwards, but centers too, as they allow the most fantasy points per game to the position (55.57).
Montrezl Harrell, HOU vs. WAS ($5,100): Harrell is the starting power forward for the most potent offense in the NBA. He is averaging 26.3 fantasy points per game over his past six and has been making most of his money by scoring buckets. This is a bit concerning because his value is very dependent on points, but look at his shooting percentages and that should be enough to convince you. He's hitting nearly 70 percent of his shots from the field over his last six, while the Wizards are 27th in the league in opponent shooting percentage (47 percent).
Joakim Noah, NYK vs. ORL ($4,800): After struggling throughout most of his first season in New York, Noah is averaging 11.4 boards per game over his past five and has at least 16 rebounds in two of three. Noah is another former Bulls player who will likely benefit from the injuries to Melo and Porzingis, even if both play (likely not at 100 percent). The Magic are a plus-matchup for centers this season and Orlando will be playing the second of a back-to-back after losing to the Pacers on Sunday.
